The Holiday - Review

Well here goes, my first movie review. Jodie and I went to see this movie on Sunday after church. We went to the new cinema in town, it is pretty good, although not anything better than Hoyts. My favourite cinema in Canberra is Hoyts, Woden, and I don't think that has changed. The one thing I am interested in about Dendy (the new one we went to) is that it has a premium lounge, which would be fun to go to sometimes. But this is supposed to be a movie review not a cinema review so...


The Holiday
Director: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
Genre: Romance/Comedy

This was clearly aimed for a Christmas release as the story is set over the Christmas/New Year Period. Two women, Amanda is from the USA and Iris (Winslet) from England both run against major trouble in their love lives just before christmas. Determined to put some distance between themselves and their problems they agree to a house swap over the holidays. Neither of them are prepared for their change of situation, especially when complicated by new men that also have issues that make things, well, complicated.

I must admit I love the Rom-com genre, it is fun, easy to watch, you don't have to think too much and the characters are usually very likeable. This movie was no exception, the actors were great, I wanted them all to end up happy, which of course they did, because seriously how disappointed would you be if they didn't? I felt most for Iris, Kate Winslets charactor I think. I loved her storyline too, especially her interactions with Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), her elderly neighbour in LA, it was very sweet, and he was wonderful. I particularly liked the bit when he was telling Iris that she was clearly a "leading lady" but she acted like she was the "best friend" when they were talking about old hollywood movies, I really identify with that, never expecting the big stuff to happen to you. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law had good chemistry, the two "couples" were quite different from each other, with Winslet and Black much sweeter and well I have to say the best word I can think of is chaste. Much more sexual tension between Diaz and Law's characters. If for nothing else this movie is worth seeing for the characters, which I think is as it should be. The locations are nice, but they take a back seat as the plot is really driven by the people, which is fitting. Lastly, I loved the dancing, around the house when you are alone, everyone should do that, I know I do. I would recommend this movie if you like: Love Actually, and Bridget Jones Diary

My Rating: ***

Is it that far into the year already?!

Well halfway through January and I haven't posted here at all, whoops. Hayley told me yesterday that I needed to update my blog, so I thought I had better do it.

New Years was going to be a quiet evening with some friends playing board games, sadly though it turned out to be rather more exciting. We had been told to expect a storm, but most of the time when the forecast is for storms we get not one drop. Hayley was at my place, as I was making dessert for us to take (chocolate parfait), and then we set off to Hayley's parents place where her sister, Kate and her boyfriend Matt were house and dog/sitting for her parents who were in the UK. We arrived just in time as it turned out. The storm hit probably 10 minutes after we got there, and what a storm! We had rain and hail as well as wind, the hail was the worst though. It was coming in literally at bullet speed, I still don't know how it didn't break the windows!

The storm was fun for a while, but the outcome for Tuggeranong was rather devastating. An hours worth of hail shredded what was left of people's gardens that the drought hadn't got to. It had also, as it turned out for a lot of people, including my house, blocked the gutters and forced water into the roof. We apparently had water pouring through the ceiling. The only thing that stopped it from collapsing was that my brother David had been doing some home renovations and there was a hole in the ceiling where he had removed a light fitting and hadn't yet filled it back in. Most of the water came through this hole instead of getting caught in the ceiling. Other people in our suburb were not so lucky according to the paper, several houses had ceilings collapse, the papers have been saying that the damage bill is in the millions of dollars.

Since then the New Year has been relatively quiet, if rather hot. It reached 40.5 degrees celcius one day last week, and almost every day has been in the 30's. Luckily Canberra has not had any major fires, we have just had to endure smoke-filled air coming from the terrible fires in Victoria. I just hope it stays that way for us, perhaps with less smoke as they get the Vic fires under control.

I didn't get the job in Brisbane, so I am staying in Canberra for the time being. I intend to apply for some public service jobs, and perhaps some other pathology jobs as they come up. I am also thinking of doing an Arts degree by distance education, majoring in history with an idea to get into museum work.

Other intentions for the year is to learn to sew, specifically thinking vintage clothing. Also to try some other crafts that I haven't yet tried, beading for example, and if I get a chance some weaving. As well as reading as much as I possibly can, no more wasting my free time, at least that is the plan.

Photo is from the Canberra Times taken literally just down the street from home. The girl is standing in hail.